BROOKFIELD ZOO
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION TESTIMONY
APRIL 7,
2003
Thank
you, Senator Fitzgerald, for the opportunity to submit this testimony regarding
surface transportation needs at Brookfield Zoo, located in Brookfield,
Illinois. As you know, the Zoo is renowned for its conservation and education
programs, with annual attendance consistently toping 2 million visitors,
including nearly 225,0000 school children. The Zoo continues to rank as the
most popular paid cultural attraction in the state of Illinois. In order to
maintain the prestige of being one of the world’s great zoos, Brookfield Zoo
must address its public safety concerns, traffic congestion and parking issues.
Over
the past several years, Zoo visitor polls - and feedback from neighboring
communities - have indicated increasing dissatisfaction with traffic congestion
and major delays on the public roads immediately adjacent to the Zoo, as well
as insufficient or inadequate parking facilities on Zoo grounds. On an average
day, 30,000 vehicles pass the Zoo’s main entrance at First Avenue and 31St
Street; more than 5,500 of these are trucks. On high attendance days, Zoo
visitors’ cars have backed up more than 2.5 miles on First Avenue, down to the
Eisenhower Expressway, and through neighboring residential streets to get into
the Zoo. Inside the Zoo, limited parking - particularly on weekends - further
exacerbates the traffic congestion outside and contributes to noise and air
pollution.
It
thus comes as no surprise that there is a high incidence of vehicular accidents
at major intersections near the Zoo. Over the past five years, the North
Riverside and Riverside police departments reported 210 accidents, at 31St
Street and First Avenue, 103 accidents at First Avenue and Golfview Road, 44
accidents at 31St Street and Golfview Road, and 42 accidents at
First Avenue and Ridgewood.
To
remedy these access and public safety problems, the Zoo has consulted with the Illinois Department of
Transportation, the Village of Brookfield and other local stakeholders on
mutually advantageous roadway and parking improvements and is seeking federal
and state funding to implement them. Specifically, the Zoo is seeking
$11,072,000 for improvements to its main entrance and parking lots. These would
include widening pavement and construction of an enhanced main car entrance,
pavement of Zoo property for new spaces for cars, and re-pavement of the
existing rutted “chip and seal” and gravel parking facilities. The Zoo is also
proposing $3,502,000 in public safety improvements to 31St Street,
First Avenue (a State road) and Forest Road. Chief among these are the
installation of much-needed measures such as new traffic signals and a
pedestrian bridge over First Avenue to be used by students at neighboring
Riverside Brookfield High School and local residents.
Brookfield
Zoo respectfully requests $7 million in the upcoming transportation bill to
address these transportation, public safety and access improvements, which
total $14,574,000. The Zoo will seek the balance of the funds from the Illinois
Department of Transportation.
Thank
you again Senator, for your support of Brookfield Zoo. We know that we are very
fortunate to have you as our friend and advocate in Washington.